State fisheries dept to boost fish production in N Bengal

State fisheries department has taken several measures to augment fish production in North Bengal.

Minister for state fisheries department Chandranath Sinha said that since fish production in North Bengal was low, the fisheries department had taken up several measures to augment the fish production.

There will be free distribution of the fishlings (small fish) for fish cultivation and already fisheries department has started to put fishlings into rivers and government ponds.

“We would also distribute free food for feeding small fishes. Fish farmers will be trained how to apply scientific methods to cultivate fishes,” he said.

Sinha said officials of the fisheries department have observed that most of the fish cultivators did not feed the fish sufficiently, so growth of the fishes was not up to the mark.

“We shall also set up awareness camps to inform the farmers how to detect diseases of the fishes and boost fish growth,” he said.

A senior official of the fisheries department said that the department has already chosen some government ponds for cultivating fish.

“Fish fry were put into the government ponds in Jalpaiguri, Dhupguri and Maynaguri a few days ago and more government ponds will be used for this purpose,” he said. Fish fry were put into the rivers like Teesta, Torsha, Kaljani, Karla, Jaldhaka and Sankosh.

“We have already spent Rs 5.25 lakhs for this purpose. And Rs 8 lakh was spent for introducing fish fry in government ponds,” said the official.

Earlier, the fisheries department and local administration of Jalpaiguri were criticised after large number of fishes died because of pesticide poisoning in Karala river. It was later learnt, however, that pesticides used to prevent growth of pests in tea gardens, somehow got mixed into the river water.

“We have started awareness campaigns in local areas where tea gardens exist, so that people learn to avoid using the river water to clean the spray machines after using them for pest control purposes,” said the official.